WEAVERVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — After a nationwide hunt and nine months of service from David “Scottie” Harris as interim town manager, Weaverville Town Council has officially appointed Harris as their next town manager.
The town manager position in Weaverville is appointed by the town council, the seven members of which are elected by Weaverville residents. When the town council creates initiatives and policies, it falls to the town manager and their team to carry them out.
Harris has served in a dual role as Weaverville Fire Department fire chief and interim town manager since June 2024.
Now that Harris has stepped into his new role as full-time town manager, the fire chief position will be posted internally within the week with interviews for new candidates to be scheduled shortly thereafter.
Harris was excited to focus his attention solely on the town manager role. He cares about the town of Weaverville as though it was his own child, he joked.
“Now I’ve got the totality of it,” Harris said. “Knowing that this is going to be my primary mission and focus of moving the town forward, where before, having a dual role, I was balancing both agencies.”
When asked about his next projects, Harris described a community-oriented and economically-conscious vision.
“This is budget season now, so trying to find the balance of the department’s request and the funding balance of what can be funded and working with council’s goals and visions, as well as meeting service delivery demands of the community,” Harris explained. “The budget, I think that’s the first challenge as we move forward. And then the rest of it is just continue working on economic development and being engaged in the community and working with our staff.”
Weaverville Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons commended Harris’ service to the community, especially during Hurricane Helene.
“We have confidence that Harris can lead the Town through its next chapters,” Fitzsimmons stated in a press release.
The town manager position carries a $140,000 salary with an immediate start date. Harris was confirmed by the town council as the man for the job after a four-month intensive hiring process for candidates that included virtual and in-person interviews and the completion of a scenario-based assessment.
Harris’s qualifications include an M.A. in organizational leadership with a concentration in public administration and a B.S. in fire administration, numerous certifications in national and state-level emergency services and over 30 years of experience in emergency services.
For more information, visit www.weavervillenc.org/town-council-government.